RS Components now offers everything engineers need to design, develop and deploy world-class motion control solutions. From adding smart capabilities and upgrading systems, to dealing with sustainability challenges and ongoing maintenance, the huge range of products on offer from RS will provide answers to just about every motion control question and application. Technological offerings include products from many of the world’s leading motion control companies, including Festo, Danfoss, Omron, Phoenix Contact, Schneider Electric and ifm electronic.

One application that is gaining from a contemporary motion control approach is conveying. Forming the main arterial link in multiple industries and applications, including production lines, packaging and filling machines, and warehouses and storage solutions, the upgrade of conveying solutions can offer immediate and tangible benefits in terms of throughput, energy usage and service life.

Upgrade options include the addition of newer, more intelligent hardware, such as Quint 4 power supply units from Phoenix Contact. These use near-field communication to allow the upload of user-defined settings from a PC or laptop; plus there is an app for mobile and tablet devices. Users can also configure them to monitor DC current, power, or voltage in real-time via a 4-20 mA analog output. This intelligence can also improve access to the wider connected enterprise, using IIoT-based solutions and capabilities.

Energy efficiency can be tackled through the use of higher efficiency motors, such as the IE3 AC motor range from Teco Westinghouse, or the deployment of variable speed drives to control motor output more intelligently. Products of note include the new VLT FC 280 from Danfoss, which can be easily retrofitted to replace the popular VLT 2800.

RS has also extended its stock from Festo, with the addition of 400 new products. The extended offering comprises Festo’s top selling ranges, plus other innovative products, such as EPCO electric cylinders, which offer various benefits compared to traditional pneumatic equivalents.